Application of treatment media to elongate materials



March 25. 1969 P. T. DAWSON APPLICATION OF TREATMENT MEDIA TO BLONGATE MATERIALS Sheet Filed March 9, 1966 INVENTORv PETER HAYWARD TRUSSLER DAWSON BY W mil),

O L I I/A AA/Z/ ATTORNEYS March 25, 1969 P. H. T. DAWSON 3,434,311

APPLICATION OF TREATMENT MEDIA 'I'OELONGATE MATERIALS Filed March 9, 1966 Sheet 2 of 2 United States Patent 3,434,311 APPLICATION OF TREATMENT MEDIA T0 ELONGATE MATERIALS Peter H. T. Dawson, Blackburn, England, assignor to Singer-Cobble Limited, Blackburn, England Filed Mar. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 532,933 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 12, 1965, 15,355 65 Int. Cl. D06f 35/00; D06 1/00; F2611 13/02 US. Cl. 68-20 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method and apparatus are disclosed for applying treatment media, such as a dyestufi', to a moving yarn so that the media appears at intervals along the yarn. Excess media is removed from the yarn by passing the media carrying yarn in closely spaced disposition relative to a surface that is permeable to the media and causing a reduced pressure to be applied through the permeable surface to draw oil the excess media.

The invention concerns the application of treatment media to elongate materials and has particular though not exclusive reference to the application of dyestuffs to textile yarns.

In copending application Ser. No. 526,758 (series of 1960), now Patent No. 3,391,551, there is described a method of applying treatment media to moving elongate materials which includes the steps of feeding treatment media to a treatment station intermittently and subject to the influence of a pneumatic means and causing the material under processing to pass through such station thereby to take up treatment media at spaced intervals therealong consistent wtih the said feed. There is also described an apparatus for practising such method which includes a dye station through which yarn under processing passes, means adapted to effect an intermittent feed of dyestuffs to such station for application to the yarn at spaced intervals therealong and pneumatic means arranged to assist the application of media to or the removal of media from the station.

The present application is concerned with a further utilisation of air or other fluids in controlling the application of dyestuffs or other treamtent media to moving elongate materials and relates to a method whereby the material during passage to or from the dye or treatment station is subjected to a reduced fluid pressure in closely adjacent disposition relative to a surface permeable to the media and through which the reduced pressure is applied.

The invention resides in apparatus for practising the method aforesaid characterised by the provision of a means adjacent the treatment station and relative to which the material moves in passing through such station, which means is permeable to the treatment media and is adapted to allow of the application of a reduced pressure to elongate materials moving thereby so as to cause the removal of excess media therefrom.

The invention, both as to its construction and manner of operation, can be better understood from the exposition which follows when considered together with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention with inte rior passages and parts shown in phantom; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the mechanism for limiting the movement of the valve member.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a yarn dyeing apparatus comprises a rigid body part 11, two spaced, parallel bores 12, 13 extending horizontally through the said body part, a valve member 14 axially movable within the upper bore 12, the lower bore being arranged to receive the yarn 15 under processing, a vertically disposed dye feed bore 16 the axis of which lies in the plane defin'ed by the axes of the said parallel bores, and actuator means 17 whereby the valve member 14 is positionally adjustable relative to the bore 12 in which it is located.

The upper bore is of constant diameter throughout its length, and a slotted bush 18 is secured to the body part 11 in axial alignment with the said. bore.

The valve member 14 comprises a rod of a length in excess of the axial extent of the bore, the said rod being a close but free fit within the bore and extending from the bore at each end thereof. FIG. 2 shows that the end 14a of the member which extends into and through the bush 18 has a cap 19 applied thereto, the said cap 19 being counter bored, as at 20, and defining, together with the member 14, an annular space 21 to receive a helical return spring 22, such spring being disposed between the outer end face of the bush and the inner end face 20a of the counter bore. A locating pin 23 is secured to the valve member and extends radially therefrom, such pin engaging the slot 18b in the bush and serving to define the range of movement of the valve member relative to the bore in which it is located. As indicated in FIG. 1, the opposite end 14b of the valve member is formed with an axial bore. 24 of such length as to reach, at its inner extremity, a radial passage 25 in the valve member, such radial passage, in the closed position of the valve member relative to the bore in which it is located, being in alignment with the lower part 16a of dye feed bore. A dye feed passage 14c extends diametrically through the valve member 14 at such axial position therealong as to be in alignment with the dye feed bore 16 in the open position of the said member.

The lower bore 13 presents two spaced, increased-diameter portions 13a, 13b each such portion having an inlet port 26, whereby an increased or a reduced pressure may be applied to the respective portion by any convenient means, whilst two porous sleeve 27 are located in the bore and constitute a yarn feed passage through which the yarn 15 under processing moves, the said sleeves 27 being arranged in adjacent end-to-end disposition and the adjacent annular end faces thereof being counter bored slightly to define a dye-stuff receiving cavity 28 to which dyestulf is fed by the dye feed bore 16.

The actuator means 17 comprises a control cam or other suitable means arranged to adjust the position of the valve member 14 relative to the bore 12 in accordance with a predetermined cycle thus to place the dystulf receiving cavity in communication with the dyestuff supply or not as desired.

In use the yarn 15 under processing will be caused to pass through the sleeve 27 in the lower bore 13, a dyestuff will be fed to the dye feed bore 16, and the valve member 14 will be caused to move in accordance with a requisite cycle.

By reducing the pressure in the first cavity 13a the yarn passing through the associated sleeve 27 will be supported axially thereof and the incidence of smudging, in the event that the yarn has been subjected to a previous dyestuif application, will be avoided. Usually, the pressure in the second cavity 13b will be reduced too and thus again the yarn will be suspended centrally of the bore in the respective sleeve. In addition, however, any excess dyestuff as applied to the yarn at the dyestuif receiving cavity and carried forward by such yarn. will be removed by the reduced pressure, the corresponding cross section al dimensions of the bore and the yarn being such that the latter lies closely adjacent the inner surface of the bore during passage therethrough.

The accuracy of dyestuff application can be improved, it is thought, by applying a reduced pressure to the bore 24, the valve member being in a position in which the radially directed extremity 25 of the bore 24 is aligned with the feed bore 16, such application serving to remove excess dyestulf from the lower part of the bore 16 and from the dyestuff receiving cavity 28 thus avoiding contamination of dyestuffs already present on the yarn from a previous dye station.

The invention is not restricted to the exact features Of the embodiment hereinbefore described since alternatives will readily present themselves to one skilled in the art. Thus, for example, the two sleeves as located in the lower bore 13 can be replaced by a single sleeve if preferred, whilst any convenient means may be utilised for effecting axial adjustment of the valve member. Again, in some instances it may be found desirable to arrange the sleeves to pass a plurality of yarns through the bore and simultaneously present these yarns for dyestuff application.

The sleeve member or members, whilst preferably being of the character hereinbefore disclosed, may take other forms, the requirement being merely that the structure be permeable to the treatment media and to the fluid. Thus, for example, a helical coil of closely spaced turns or a succession of closely spaced plates maintained in such disposition by any convenient means may be used with advantage in some circumstances.

What I claim is:

1. Yarn treatment apparatus including a treatment station, a feed conduit through which treatment media is fed to such station, a porous body adjacent said treatment station and having parts thereof on each side of the said station, a passageway in said body adapted to receive the yarn under processing and to guide such yarn to and from the said station, and means adapted to apply a reduced air pressure to the said passageway through the said body, which reduced pressure is applied to the yarn through the porous body.

2. Yarn treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including a wall structure about said porous body adapted and arranged as to form, with the said body, a cavity of which a wall is defined by the said body, the said means being arranged to apply a reduced air pressure to said cavity.

3. Elongate material treatment apparatus comprising a body part, two spaced bores in said body part, a feed conduit extending between and connecting the said bores, 21 displaceable valve means intersecting said conduit So as to control the passage of fluid therethrough, the said valve means being accommodated in one of said bores, 21 treatment station in the other said bore and to which the feed conduit transmits a treatment media, a porous body within the said other bore, the said body being adapted to support an elongate material in closely adjacent disposition relative thereto, and pneumatic means adapted to apply a reduced air pressure to the said porous body.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the said body is disposed at one side of the treatment station, and a second such structure is provided at the opposite side of said station, means being provided to apply a reduced pressure to the said second structure.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein, the displaceable valve means is adapted to apply a reduced air pressure to the region of the treatment station.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the said valve means includes a valve member having an axially directed passage therein which terminates in a radial bore, the said bore being so positioned axially of the member as to become aligned with the feed conduit and thus connected with the treatment station upon displacement of the valve means.

7. Yarn treatment apparatus comprising -a body part, a bore in the said body part through which a yarn under treatment passes, a treatment station in said bore, a feed conduit connecting with the said station, a valve means acting in said conduit and adapted to feed treatment media thereto in accordance with a required sequence, a fluid permeable structure within the said bore and adjacent to the said station, a passageway in said structure through which the said yarn passes, and a means adapted to apply a reduced pressure to the said passageway thereby to remove excess treatment media from the yarn, the said pressure being applied to the passageway through the structure.

8. Apparatus as claimed in calim 7, wherein the said structure extends on both sides of the treatment station and said station is disposed within the said structure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,403,126 1/1922 Lyth 685X 2,597,801 5/1952 Jellinek 6820 X 2,674,112 4/1954 Jones 6820 3,061,940 11/1962 Cichelli 34156 X 2,017,455 10/1935 Gessner 68205 2,174,387 9/1939 Morken.

FOREIGN PATENTS 6,383 1904 Great Britain. 694,532. 7/ 1953 Great Britain.

WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

